


You Don't Even Know

by taffycandytie



Category: Bandom, Twenty One Pilots
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe - High School, Fantasy, Gay, Homophobia, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, Josh is way too sweet, Josh isn't human, M/M, Moving, Nature, Sassy Tyler, and art, joshler - Freeform, thats a spoiler, tyler loves photography, tyler sneaks out to see him, tyler thinks he is rebellious but not really
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-10
Updated: 2018-12-12
Packaged: 2019-09-15 00:16:18
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,588
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16923081
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/taffycandytie/pseuds/taffycandytie
Summary: Tyler hates leaving his friends; he's never even heard of his new hometown. He turns more introverted than ever, just spending time with his camera and sketch book. But that's okay; he's got a friend named Josh to keep him company. A friend that really seems too good to be true.





	1. Prologue• Moving

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry I haven't been updating my other book to those of you who've been reading it  
> I got horrible writer's block  
> And then I was going through my old sketch books and found this plot  
> I did so much concept art for it too with the landscapes and such; I actually really love this idea, so I hope you will too

Leaving your childhood home is never easy. Not after you remember every little detail about the neighborhood, after you befriended everyone on the block, after you've lost track of the countless times you and your neighbors got together for a barbecue and you have fond memories of you and your best friend making your own treehouse to which you imagined was a rocket ship.

Tyler never thought of these things. Never once did he realize how amazing he had it until he had to leave. His father had come home with a promotion, and that was great and all. Everyone was gleeful, happy that he'd gotten it, but then he announced how they'd have to move to accept it. The younger two of the Joseph's didn't really care, but Tyler and Zack did. All their life had been spent here, in Columbus, Ohio. They didn't want to leave; didn't want to have to say goodbye to all of their friends they'd thought they'd get to see for the rest of their life.

But the day was here that they had to leave. The moving truck was packed and the brunette watched as Maddy and Jay skipped by him from out the front door, backpacks slung over their shoulders and packed with activities to do in the car on the trip. Tyler wanted to cry, just standing there on the stone walkway up to the front door of their house. He sighed dismally, stepping back to the door and peering in. It looked so empty. It wasn't like he was leaving his family or anything, but he wasn't used to seeing the living room without clutter everywhere, or the kitchen without newspapers on the table and dirty dishes stacked by the sink.

"You ready to go, kid?"

Tyler flinched at feeling his dad clap his hand on his shoulder; he wanted to scream that he was staying and that he refused to go. But he knew this was hard on his father as well; he was leaving friends. Leaving the comfort of their suburban neighborhood for the unfamiliarity of a small town somewhere between Cleveland and the border of Michigan. He hadn't even heard of the city up until now, and they were going to live there? It didn't make sense to Tyler in the least.

The boy sighed, nodding and slipping his bag over his arm. It only had his headphones, sketchbook, and camera in it, but it still felt like it had the weight of a ton of bricks. "Yeah, yeah, I'm ready," he murmured, shooting his dad a shy grin and stepping out of his grasp to stumble over to the car.

He opened the back door, immediately noticing how his brother beside him seemed to be fighting tears as he stared down at his phone. Tyler recognized that longing look in Zack's eye, assuming that he must've been texting his friends. The brunette turned his head, looking behind him as he shut the door to see Maddy and Jay. Maddy was playing a game from their mother's phone with the cute light-blue headphones Tyler'd gotten her for Christmas last year over her ears, while Jay was already trying to go to sleep, his blanket wrapped snug around him and a pillow behind his head.

This would've been nice, had it been a family road trip and not a point where they were completely flipping their lives upside down. Tyler could remember having to tell his two closest friends, Mark and Jenna that he was leaving. Mark seemed to think he was joking at first while Jenna just seemed to go into some state of shock. It was depressing; he'd always planned on asking the blonde girl out. She was gorgeous; having these piercing icy eyes that could somehow melt the coldest heart, and her laugh- her laugh could make anyone become the happiest they'd ever been.

He sighed, again. At least they hadn't started dating before he knew they were leaving right?

His parents opened the door to the vehicle, his dad in the driver's seat and his mom in the passengers and immediately they caught everyone's attention.

"Everyone ready?" their mother's cheery voice and equally as cheery grin asked.

They all spoke a yes, although all of them responded in different way. Tyler murmured, Zack grumbled, Maddy assured, and Jay yelped giddily. At least one of them was excited about this.

The car started moving; Tyler instantly felt his heart lunge. He wanted to open the door and dash back to his home, to his room, sit where his bed once was and just cry himself to sleep. He wanted to have one more neighborhood get together, get a chance to ask Jenna out to prom, get a chance to prank the Algebra teacher with Mark again. Just get a second chance for everything he'd taken for granted.

Plugging in his earbuds, he spent a good hour and a half just listening to the saddest songs he could find as he stared out the window, the familiarity of Columbus disappearing the farther the went. Finally, Tyler decided to text someone. Anyone. He'd promised Mark he'd text him on the way up to his new home, but he'd gotten distracted.

His skeletal fingers danced across the screen as he typed out a message, back spacing almost every draft he'd come up with. What'd he say? What was appropriate to say?

 **Taco man**  
hey  
_8:35 am_

  
He clicked the screen off, not really feeling like making himself even more miserable by waiting for a response. They were in school right now, all his friends were. They were probably in science right now, laughing over Mr. Wentz's lame attempts at comedy which actually did make his pupils laugh, just not the reason why he thought.

A small grin threatened to break his bored expression; it was quickly depleted when a question came to mind. "Hey, Ma," he mumbled, sitting up from where he'd been leaning his temple against the temperate glass of the window.

His mother hummed in acknowledgement, turning her attention away from the conversation she'd been sharing with her husband about whether their fragile items would be safe or not.

"Where're we gonna go to school?"

The got Zack's attention; he looked up from his phone for the first time that whole trip. Tyler glanced at him; they shared eye contact for a split second before looking back to their mother. She shrugged, smiling softly. "There's a local school system nearby the new house. If it doesn't work out-" she seemed to focus on Tyler specially at that; it made him feel like she was insinuating something. "We'll just finish the school year, okay? It's not that bad."

Tyler knew better than to argue. He sighed for the millionth time that day, pushing back in his ear bud as focusing on the certain beat of the gloomy tune. He really didn't feel like having to restart; he had to. He had to if he wanted to make this easy on his parents and his younger siblings.

•••

4 hours passed before they were finally there. Tyler was just glad they hadn't decided to move out of state; he couldn't stand over a 4 hour drive anyways.

His new hometown was actually rather nice. It had a quaint feel to it. It was small, yet it had a nice look to the buildings downtown. There were several people walking the streets, the streets where stores and movie theater building and tiny hotel buildings were almost touching. The street lamps had wreaths on them along with red and white ribbon going down the post; it made the brunette smile when they passed by the sight. They'd never taken down the holiday season decorations, yet it was spring.

But their new house wasn't any of the small little homes in the subdivisions scattered all over down thin roads, no. They kept driving until they got to a certain point, away from the buildings until the bustling part of the city was behind them and only a few widespread homes decorated the sides of the road. They turned at a sign, a sign that said 'Mirror Lake'. Tyler felt butterflies in his stomach. A lake? They were going to have a lake on their property? Their parents had told them nothing of the new place other than it was secluded, out by the forest of the area. Tyler was able to find many a ghost story about said forest when he searched it up; he'd be lying if he said he wasn't a bit interested in the place.

"Wait, are we gonna get to swim?" Maddy's voice chimed in as if she and Tyler had shared thoughts when she read the sign.

His parents shared smiles; Tyler was beginning to feel a bit better about this place. But it quickly faltered when he remembered he wouldn't be able to take Jenna out here and show her the beauty. His dad responded with a hearty chuckle, and a quick nod as he peered into the rear-view mirror to ensure the moving van behind them was still trailing. "If you can set up your rooms tonight, we'll see."

Tyler's attitude sunk even further at that. He wanted to go alone. Wanted to be alone with his thoughts and be able to sketch or paint the forest, to be able to find the lake and wade into it or strip off into his boxers to just swim all by himself. If the lake's name wasn't any indication, the body of water probably clear. If he didn't swim out into the middle of it, he'd be fine, right?

It took a few minutes; the brunette was shocked by how long their new driveway was. It didn't help that trees were on both sides of the rock road; he wouldn't be able to see the new house until they pulled up into the clearing. They did eventually do just that; Tyler grinned. The home was of two stories and the walls were made of brick. There wasn't much to it, other than it looked quaint with its long patio leading up to the front door. It looked like a cottage, yet a bit different. He liked it. It wasn't his old home, but he liked it.

The next 3 hours was hectic. Men from the moving truck bringing in the heavy boxes along with his parents, all of his younger siblings carrying box after box of their stuff to where their rooms would be. They'd already gotten beds; their parents had sold their old ones in favor of just buying new ones here before they actually moved in.

Seeing a mattress ready for him, Tyler almost immediately fixed the bed with sheets and blankets and his pillow so he could nap before he actually decorated his room. He had a desk to put up, a night stand to set down, a lamp to plug in, a place to put his keyboard- stuff that he didn't actually have to do for a good few weeks, but he knew he'd feel more comfortable if he had this room looking like a place where he'd actually be comfortable.

The room was small; a window was right at the head of his bed, which was in the center of the room; Tyler kinda liked it. He could see out into the woodland, which wasn't the actual forest. The forest itself began at the furthest edge of the lake according to Google Maps, while scattered birch trees, pine trees, maple trees, and oak trees decorated the gentle hills leading to the body of water and surrounding the sides of it. While he couldn't see the lake itself due to it's distance and a small hill breaking his vision, Tyler could only imagine how stunning it'd look right now with this spring weather, the trees gaining back their leaves, the apple blossoms, the small animals, everything.

Maybe his family wouldn't care if he snuck out the back. After all, the dirt path to the lake was right out their back door in the kitchen. He'd just take his camera and snap a photo to put in his journal, that couldn't cause much trouble. He sighed, rolling on to his side and staring at the navy wallpaper of the room and then to the moving boxes sitting on the dark wooden floor marked 'Tyler'. He did have a bit of work to do, but it really couldn't hurt to just sneak out to the lake, could it?

He heard a small sound; it shocked him for a moment until he realized it was his phone. His eyes widened, quickly scrambling to grab the device off of the rug underneath the bed. Still laying on his stomach, he opened it, his smile beaming when he saw Mark had finally responded.

 **meep**  
hey did you grab any food for me on your drive  
_3:56 pm_

  
It wasn't funny, but to the brunette it was. Probably because he wouldn't get to see this kid for a few months contrast to the few hours he used to have to wait when he was living back in Columbus.

 **Taco man**  
yes i did actually  
_3:57 pm_

why don't you come get it? i think it's cold now but whatever  
3:57 pm

 **meep**  
yeah no you probably got germs all over it  
3:58 pm

 **Taco man**  
how'd you guess  
_3:58 pm_

i sneezed on it  
_3:58 pm_

that's the best way to haunt your dreams right?  
_3:58 pm_

"Tyler."

The boy looked up to see his mother; he returned his vision to his phone. "I'm gonna unpack the rest, just lemme text Mark," he whined, expecting a complaint on how his room wasn't made up yet.

 **meep**  
i don't need tyleritis thank you very much  
_3:59 pm_

in all seriousness though  
_3:59 pm_

how was the drive up?  
_3:59 pm_

"We were actually thinking that we might go out for dinner tonight," she continued on, proving Tyler's theory as to why she was here wrong.

The brunette shrugged. "Cool." He wasn't in the mood to discuss anything right now.

 **Taco man**  
it was okay i guess  
_4:00 pm_

maddy spilled my mom's coffee all over zack because she said it tasted disgusting  
_4:00 pm_

that alone was worth the trip  
_4:01_

"We're all going, Tyler." The boy redirected his attention to her when she used his name again. "And that includes you." She pointed a finger accusingly at her son before pointing to the suitcase he'd dragged in that was full of some of his clothing. "C'mon, get ready."

The brunette wanted to roll his eyes, but refrained himself, mumbling an empty 'I will' and staring at the three dots on his phone screen whilst he waited for the reply.

 **meep**  
i wish it was just a temporary trip  
_4:01 pm_

Mark's response seemed to make his heart drop; he wished it hadn't. It was probably because he wished it was just that as well. Wished that all of this was just a temporary setting he'd be at for a few months and then he'd be back at his real home in Columbus.

He felt the bed shift and shot a glare at his mother, seeing she was trying to look over his shoulder. "How's Mark?" she questioned, seemingly just trying to annoy him until he'd get up and give in to getting dressed for some fancy dinner he really didn't want to go to.

"Same as yesterday," he sighed, this time actually rolling his eyes and earning a look of disdain from his mom.

"Tyler."

 **Taco man**  
and now im supposed to go to some dinner ive never even heard the suggestion of til now  
_4:03 pm_

Mark's response was instantaneous.

 **meep**  
bummer dude  
_4:03 pm_

don't have too much fun without me  
_4:03 pm_

i missed hearing your stupid puns today at lunch  
_4:03 pm_

Tyler didn't mean to make his response so snappy, but it just came off that way. He was dealing with something he'd only worried about when his best friend from kindergarten moved away; he didn't even remember that kids name. He didn't want his friends to forget he existed solely because he was torn away from them involuntarily.

 **Taco man**  
yeah well you have to get used to that  
_4:04 pm_

and so do i  
_4:04 pm_

dude this is gonna suck  
_4:04 pm_

 **meep**  
well you're gay anyway  
_4:04 pm_

sucking is what you do best  
_4:05 pm_

Tyler had to tilt the phone ever so slightly so his mom couldn't see the screen. He wasn't gay; not at all. He liked girls, and one of those girls was Jenna. The one problem was that he'd confided in Mark about his confusions on what he'd been taught and how he thought their British exchange student the previous year was hot and actually developed a one-sided crush on the boy.

Mark was supportive, but also started making gay jokes to press Tyler on. Probably to make him more confident that there was nothing wrong with it; he made fun of himself for being straight all the time although that was considered the social norm. The brunette teen didn't mind though; all the jokes comforted him and made him feel like it really wasn't a big deal if he had a small attraction to guys.

 **Taco man**  
i wish that was true  
_4:06 pm_

dude if i could get a lay id have guys going through here all night just to piss my parents off  
_4:06 pm_

Tyler wasn't exactly the child their parents thought he was. Yes, he wasn't actually always like he portrayed himself with his friends, whether they were close enough, but he definitely wasn't the pure angel they'd tried to force him to be.

"Alright, down in fifteen minutes?" his mother finally spoke up again, tapping his shoulder before standing up off of the mattress, causing the bed to groan.

"Yeah yeah," he mumbled a response. She watched him warily for a moment before finally leaving the room, door left wife open to Tyler's annoyance.

 **meep**  
promise me if you do actually get a bf up there you'll use protection  
_4:06 pm_

seriously ty  
_4:07 pm_

also it's a requirement that you send me a picture of you and your new daddy if and when that happens  
_4:07 pm_

Tyler frowned, fighting back a snort as he did actually find that a bit amusing. He'd love to find a girlfriend, or maybe a boyfriend while he was up here. That'd be at least one good thing.

 **Taco man**  
who said im the bottom  
_4:07 pm_

maybe ill be his daddy  
_4:08 pm_

 **meep**  
yuh huh  
_4:08 pm_

yeah no you're a power bottom  
_4:08 pm_

wait no i take it back  
_4:08 pm_

you'd probably just be his submissive twink  
_4:08 pm_

 **Taco man**  
shut the hell up  
_4:08 pm_

 **meep**  
language  
_4:08_

 **Taco man**  
okay now my mom's yelling at me for not coming downstairs  
_4:10 pm_

ill talk to you later if I survive this  
_4:10 pm_

 **meep**  
stop being dramatic twink  
_4:10 pm_

you know why you're a twink?  
_4:10 pm_

 **Taco man**  
no i don't  
_4:11 pm_

and i don't wanna know your reasoning  
_4:11 pm_

bye mark  
_4:11 pm_

 **meep**  
meanie  
_4:11 pm_

fiiiine  
_4:12 pm_

go have fun without me  
_4:12 pm_

With that, Tyler lazily rolled off of his bed, dragging himself over to the suitcase and opening it. A floral button up and some skinny jeans with converse. He didn't need anything else really. Besides, he didn't care these clothes got dirty. That way, when they got home, he'd be able to sneak out to the lake as the sun set. That'd be the perfect picture; he was sure. The edge of the lake where the forest started was pointed west, meaning he'd get a perfect shot with his camera of the sun peaking just over the tops of the canopy of trees. It'd be beautiful.


	2. Freak

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tyler meets a freak

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks for the sweet feedback already  
> seriously I just makes my day  
> you guys are awesome

        Dinner was horrible. To Tyler at least. Everyone else seemed to love it. But it's hard to love something when it makes you sick, so sick that your stomach churns and twists the entire time as you try not to dash off to the bathroom to puke all your insides out into the fancy ass toilet of the fancy ass restaurant.

        Tyler's mother, Kelly, was almost immediately on Tyler when she noticed his lack of talking and his fidgeting. She pried him, asked what was wrong, if he was ill, all of that. He told her the truth, and she promised they'd be quick to finish their meals and leave. The smell of food usually was appetizing to the brunette, but tonight in particular he loathed it.

        He was glad his button up was a bit long on him; it'd be embarrassing to have someone walk by his seat and notice he'd unbuttoned his jeans. No, he wasn't some sort of fucked up exhibitionist. His black boxers matched his jeans, so it wasn't like you could tell just at just a glance that they were separate articles of clothing; his gut felt better without the pressure of the skinny jeans wrapping around it harshly.

        Of course, somebody must've noticed despite his discreetness and how he pulled his button up as low as it could go on his hips; he could swear every time the waiter came by to check on them that she would glance at him with amusement. She must've thought he ate too much from seeing the empty plate in front of him, when in actuality, Maddy had eaten Tyler's grilled salmon when her older brother concluded that he couldn't eat anymore. 

        Tyler's eyes constantly wandered to the bar on the other side of the room. It was fancy, just like everything else here. Ladies in tight, business-like dresses sat on the stools, laughing as they spoke among each other and men who looked like they just came off of a runway leaning over the counter to flirt with the employee mixing the drinks. Tyler assumed they were either trying to get laid, or trying to bum a free drink off of her. The brunette wished he was old enough to drown his sorrows about moving away with an alcoholic beverage. But if he was old enough, he wouldn't have moved in the first place.

        It was about an hour after Tyler'd originally voiced his discomfort that they finally left. The brunette felt sicker when the coolness of the spring evening settled into his skin and under his button up, but everything seemed to heal itself when he remembered that he could run off and take photos of the sunset over Mirror Lake. Hell, maybe he'd be able to sneak Maddy, Jay, and Zack with him so his parents would give him a more lenient punishment if they got caught. Or maybe they just wouldn't care at all.

        The drive home, Tyler completely forgot about his complaints and just hummed when his mom mention giving him aspirin and such when they reached their new house. The whole ride was spent with his family talking nonsense in the background, and him staring out the window and thinking of how he'd set up his camera, if he should clean the lens first, how he could send these to his old friends; the important stuff. 

        They reached the driveway, and when the van finally pulled to a stop, Tyler practically threw the door off of its hinges as he dashed inside, ignoring his siblings poking fun at him as they assumed it was him in desperate need to find the bathroom.

         Slamming the front door shut, his breathing was heavy more so from excitement than exhaustion from the quick dash. The vans were toed off, and as he ran up the stairs to his room, he started peeling his floral button up off. 

        He was going to swim tonight, whether he was allowed to or not. When had he decided on that? Just now actually. But who wouldn't want to go swimming? He didn't know if the lake was murky and dirty, or clear and clean, but he wanted to swim. At least wade in. And if his parents asked why he was wet? He'd simply just say he took a shower. Although he highly doubted he'd still be wet after the walk back home from the lake. It looked a good mile distance from the household, so 20 minutes of walking should dry him off just fine.

        As the boy stripped down to nothing but his black trunks that formed to his lanky frame, he heard the door shut and footsteps of most likely his little siblings as they clambered up the stairs, shouting as they called the single bathroom they all had to share upstairs. Tyler snickered; it was times like this he was actually quite grateful to have moved, just knowing he wouldn't have to take a late shower and walk into his shared room to be greeted by Zack complaining he'd woken him up. Now he had a room all to himself.

        "Ty, I'm stealing the shower if you're not gonna use it," Maddy shouted just outside of his closed door, earning a chorus of 'no you're not' and 'no, I am' from Zack and Jay. Another amused chuckle escaped the brunette's lips as he pulled on a plain white hoodie.

        Yeah, maybe he should preserve the sanity of the animals around the lake and not bring his siblings along. "Go ahead," he spoke up rather loudly so they could hear him over their bickering.

        With that, he took a deep breath, and began shoving his camera case into his back pack, along with a sketch diary, a change of clothes to be safe, and a towel. That's all he needed really. As he was doing his best to shove the thick towel into the bag, he looked up from where he was kneeling on the wooden floor and out the window at the head of his bed. The sun wasn't too low; it was only 6 o'clock. He had time.

        It really was beautiful though. The way the clouds looked as if someone had streaked them on with a watercolor paintbrush while the sky itself was decorated and colored in such a beautiful manner of oranges and reds that Tyler was wondering if it was possible to see a more beautiful sunset. 

        A frown came over his features. How was he going to sneak out? Running downstairs in nothing but an oversized hoodie and his boxers would seem anything but normal. He sighed, figuring if he got stopped, he could always get up in the early morning and sneak out to the lake to catch the sunrise with his camera. 

        He carefully opened the door to his room after he'd slung the back over his shoulder, glancing at his brothers as they fought Maddy who was desperately trying to lock the door while they held on to the handle to keep it open. He smirked; they didn't even notice their eldest brother tip toeing out of his room at the end of the hallways and slipping down the stairs that led directly to where the kitchen and living room merged. 

       His parents were sitting on the new cream-colored couch, facing away from the stairs and towards the old tv they'd mentioned they were replacing soon, going over some papers and talking blandly about something. Tyler overheard his name and couldn't help but freeze as his feet touched the middle step, curious to listen.

        Something about how he'd have to go back to Columbus in a year if he was still interested in that college he wanted to go to. A smile pierced through his monotone expression. Maybe this would turn out to just be a temporary living place. Maybe he'd end up rich and he could buy their old house back when he returned and return all the old decorations to it. He wished. Then he could ask Jenna out finally, and maybe he and Mark could end up as roommates. Something inside of him told him that wasn't going to happen, but he ignored it.

        Carefully, he continued to slowly lower himself until he reached the bottom step, his bare feet touching the brand new wood of the kitchen. Not sacrificing his stealth, he held his breath and stepped cautiously towards the door right beside the counter. He prayed it didn't squeak. 

        By god's grace, it didn't, and he was able to step out on to the small, tattered old patio and shut the white wooden door with minimal sound. The porch was the only part of the house besides the basement that hadn't been refurbished, and groaned when he hopped off of it. His breath hitched, not just because of his break in quietness, but because the dirt path leading down the woodland area really had more rocks that the soles of his feet would like. 

        He sucked in a deep breath, biting his lip harshly to distract his mind to that pain other than the sharp touch of a rock every now and then as he began walking. It wasn't that bad; in Columbus he'd run barefoot across the burning hot asphalt roads all the time since he was able to walk. But this hurt more; the twigs that'd fallen off of the trees scattered here and there beside the path also made it worse, the sap sticking to his toes and making him feel gross.

        The walk wasn't half bad, even if his feet were a bit bothered by the rough dirt and rocks and sap. The young boy could hear birds, robins most likely, singing their pretty little tunes and flitting from tree to tree. He ended up getting his camera out and letting it hang from its strap around his neck, getting a few shots of some oak trees with small gray squirrels in their large, majestic branches. 

        After about 10 or so minutes, Tyler checked his phone, ignored a text from Mark asking if he ended up dying at dinner, and checked the map. Almost there. He grinned to himself, beginning to sing a soft chorus of no words but a tune of 'la's. The grass was overgrown and the trees became closer the farther he walked, and he couldn't help but ponder if their were any wolves here. He knew they were near Michigan, and the mitten state had the canines, but they were much farther north weren't they? He shivered, his singing cracking but not stopping. He hoped he wouldn't end up as something's meal tonight. He highly doubted it, but alone near a forest without anyone aware was a bad idea that he hadn't realized was bad until now.

        The path ended, opening up in grass. Grass that wasn't overgrown, but was long enough to reach Tyler's ankles. He grinned, brightly, practically running down the gentle slope of the hill. He'd reached a clearing in the trees, and this clearing was the one that held the most beautiful lake he'd ever seen. The water reflected the orange-yellow of the sky, but he could still tell it was clear as a crystal. The water lay in the middle of gently sloping hills, all at the tops of the mounds decorated with trees. One particular hill, the one where the forest began, had a much steeper slope, being made primarily of dirt and rock. Tyler thought it was beautiful.

        All worries of staying too late or the sun setting before he could get back disappeared when his feet hit the sand, immediately slipping off his bag and opening his camera lens to get ready for the best photo he'd ever taken. It was perfect. Everything he could've wanted. The sun was just above the peeks of the forest canopy, it's reflection in the clear water just too beautiful to be true. 

        Tyler, still grinning like an idiot, held the photography device up to his eye so he could look at what he was taking a photo of exactly. It was a professional camera, having been given to him by his cousin who was a photographer herself and admired Tyler's taste for taking a good photo. 

        As his hues focused, he froze, pulling the camera away from his face. He frowned. This was their property, therefore their lake, so- why was there a guy out there? Was it even a guy? Maybe it was a really thin bear with messy hair that was flowing in the wind. Tyler sighed, setting his camera securely in his bag and glaring at the form. Yeah, it was a guy.

        Said man was shirtless, his back to Tyler. He wasn't that far out, and apparently it wasn't that deep; he wasn't swimming. The water came up just below his chest and his shoulder blades. He was cleaning himself it seemed, rubbing at his muscular biceps and then splashing his face with water. He couldn't really see him that well; he was more of a silhouette in this lighting than anything. Tyler didn't know how he didn't see him when he first got here.

        "Hello?" Tyler called out without thinking. He didn't see a problem. This was his property, and this kid didn't have a point to be on it. Unless he was a serial killer hiding away on their property. That thought the brunette's face go pale.

        The man turned, quickly, startled it seemed, but Tyler still couldn't make out his facial features well. What Tyler could tell however, is that this was not a man, it was a boy. A boy probably his age. He waved quickly, looking around in the water for a moment as if he was looking for something before he started wading in closer. Tyler gulped. Was this guy a kid from the local public school he'd be going to soon? Or was he a runaway? Why would he be out bathing in a lake instead of a shower or a bath?

         "Hi," he heard a warm voice greet; Tyler hadn't noticed he'd gotten to the shore so soon; he'd been checking his phone to ensure he could call the emergency line in case he ended up meeting a murderer or a runaway from the mental hospital.

        Tyler turned, smiling shyly but actually terrified. He dropped his phone back in the bag. What the hell was he looking at. This kid was holding out his hand, grinning the warmest smile the boy'd ever seen. But that wasn't noticed; all Tyler saw was the features this boy possessed. His ears weren't pointed, no, but they looked as if they almost did come to a sharp point, but had smoothed out. A piercing decorated his nose, black gauges were decorating his ear lobes. His hair looked to have been a mohawk at one point, but the sides that'd once been shaved had grown out more, being dark and shaggy while other wild, messy strands were dyed a raveny navy blue. An hue that mimicked the sky's color in the east right now. All of this wasn't too irregular. But his tattoos were.

        It wasn't that Tyler hadn seen kids his age with tattoos; these were different. Yes, most teens got dark tattoos in their edgy stage, but something about these seemed more sinister. Tattoos across the boy's right arm. Skulls, black roses, barbed wires, snakes- depictions representing everything his parents tried to shelter him from. Although, one pretty feature was the eyes that possessed irises of beautiful melted chocolate. But they didn't seem to sparkle or shine. His pupils were large, dark, and lifeless. It made Tyler shiver to wonder if he was high. That'd explain the purple bags under his dead orbs. His eyes fell back to the tattoos though, the markings many shades darker than the boy's seemingly ashy skin tone. It wasn't too obvious at a glance, but his skin was indeed that of a dead person's. Pale, yet with a gray tint. 

        Unnaturally gray skin met soft tanned skin as Tyler shook his hand, noticing the boy was wearing nothing but some raggedy old shorts. His legs were muscular; Tyler could see more dark tattoos on his ankle. Tyler thought he was dreaming. This was some edge lord just chilling on his property. 

        The brunette meant to ask what he was doing. His mouth blurted out the other question racing through his mind. "What are you?" he practically whispered, mentally cursing himself. "Oh- no- I didn't mean-"

        "You're fine," the boy assured, still smiling as he released his hand, shrugging and running the same hand through his damp hair. "I get that all the time." The brunette seemed to doubt that for some reason. 

        Tyler swallowed the lump in his throat, watching as the other stepped away, sitting on the sand-dirt shore and gesturing for Tyler to sit beside him. The brunette didn't really have a choice, so he did anyways, sitting next to the unique looking boy. 

        "You're new," he mumbled, picking at a rock buried in the sand.

        Tyler quirked a brow at the muscular male's comment. He shrugged, deciding not to question it. Maybe he just lived here too? "We just got here today," he responded quietly.

        "You didn't happen to notice a flower anywhere in your room did you?"

        Tyler frowned. Flower? His room? Did this guy live here before them? How'd he know if it was even Tyler's room he was looking for? "I didn't really clean it up yet?" he spoke it as more of a question than answer. "Why?"

        The boy didn't answer, just frowned and stared at the setting sun for a moment. Tyler shifted, uncomfortable. He hadn't expected to meet a freak today. Yes, a freak. He'd didn't care if he was a teen being overly edgy, this kid didn't look right. Oh he was handsome, very handsome despite his oddities, but he just looked so- out of place. The skin especially was throwing him off, along with the fact that from this angle, Tyler could swear the white's of this guy's eyes were molding.

        The boy smiled again. Tyler suddenly felt more relaxed just by seeing that toothy grin. "Sorry, yeah yeah, it's just a question," he assured. He picked up a handful of sand, sprinkling it on his dully colored leg out of boredom. "Who're you?" He looked to the brunette beside him, midnight blue strands of hair moving with his head as he turned.

        Tyler wanted to laugh. Who was he? The kid who actually lived her and who's parents owned this land. The proper question was, who the hell was this guy. "Tyler," he answered anyways, staring at the sun and not paying attention to the odd looking kid beside him. "Tyler Joseph." He squinted, giving the oddity a look of confusion. "Sorry, I thought this lake was for the people who- yknow- actually owned the land?" And there went his sass.

        He expected the other to roll his eyes or smile, react in some other way than whatever he did. His smile dropped, and he stared at him with those dead eyes for a good long moment before clearing his throat. He mouthed the boy's name, to Tyler's confusion, and shrugging. "Think of me as a bonus then." It was a joke, but the boy telling it wasn't smiling still.

        "Why can't you use a shower?" Tyler pressed on. "Or a bath?"

        The ashy-skinned boy chuckled, the small grin returning. He reached his foot out, letting the heel rest where the water began on the shoreline. "Because," he said simply. Tyler frowned. The other snickered and added a better excuse. "Trust me, when you've been in that lake once, you never want to leave it."

        Tyler didn't understand. Suddenly, the brunette felt his hand being pulled. He yelped, being pulled to his feet swiftly and then pulled forward to step into the lake. He shouted "stop" and the boy, up to his shin in water and holding his hand stopped, looking at him curiously.

        "What the hell're you doing?" Tyler scowled, careful not to let his toes touch the water. He almost felt like if he touched it, he'd be set alight in flames.

        The boy glanced to his feet, seeming to frown a bit to see he wasn't in the water yet. "C'mon, Tyler." He used his name so smoothly. Tyler almost wanted to smile just because of it. "You came here to swim anyways, right?"

        Tyler sighed. That was true. But he shook his head, pulling his hand away from Josh's and quickly pulling off his hoodie. "Yeah, but my ma'll kill me if she knows I soaked my hoodie... Or if she knows I'm out here at all."

        The hooded sweater was thrown in the direction of his bag. He started to wish he'd actually worn his swim shorts; he hadn't planned on anyone else being out here, and his tight boxers didn't hide the outline of his crotch very well. He wasn't hard, no, but that didn't changed the fact that it was embarrassing. This guy had a dick too, so Tyler didn't really know why he was so worried.

        "Cute."

        Tyler shot a glare at the freak. He couldn't tell if he was talking about him or the way he was holding his hands to cover in between his legs even more so. He delicately stepped in, up to his ankles and smiled. The water was fairly warm due to the fact that this was actually more of a large pond than a lake. It probably didn't go too horribly deep either; that helped in keeping it warm. 

        "You never told me your name," the lanky brunette mumbled, still holding his hands precariously and stepping in further until he was right beside the other. The sun was slowly disappearing behind the trees, but it wasn't even halfway behind the black outlines; he still had plenty of time.

        The boy sneered. He pulled Tyler's hand again, making the brunette squeak as he was being pulled farther into the clear water, his feet touching soft sand at the bottom. "You wouldn't like my name," he muttered. Tyler snorted.

        "Dude, it's your name. You really think I wouldn't be friends with you because your name sounded weird?" Tyler didn't even know if he wanted to befriend this character anyways.

        "It's Josh."

        Tyler just stared. He shrugged, careless. That name was nothing to fear. It was familiar, yes, but the name was fairly common. Josh looked flabbergasted. "You- don't? That name? Joshua?"

        The brunette shook his head. "Sorry, Josh." He squeezed his hand, smiling awkwardly. "I don't actually dislike your name, believe it or not, it's pretty." That sounded not how he had hoped when he said it in his head.

        Josh watched him like he'd just given him a death sentence. Tyler was disturbed; he walked sluggishly, due to the water friction, further out until he was where Josh'd been when he'd first seen him in the lake. The odd boy was quick to follow, and Tyler noticed he no longer looked so shocked, but his eyes showed it nonetheless.

        The water was colder against Tyler's chest, so he shivered, wrapping his arms around his torso to warm himself up. Josh seemed unbothered by the drop in temperature, probably because he'd been out in the water already. "Be careful when you get out in the middle," he spoke up, resting a warm hand on Tyler's cold shoulder. It wasn't uncomfortable for either of them. "There's a drop off."

        "How do you know?" Tyler asked. It was a dumb questions; Josh clearly had been here longer than he hasn't. He just wanted to know why he was here in the first place.

        The older boy seemed amused by this as well, stepping out in front of Tyler. He gestured towards the middle of the lake, bringing his beautifully marked arm up out of the water as he did so. "Because of swam over it, and it's terrifying."

        Tyler rolled his eyes with a chuckle. "Does that mean any lake with a drop off is terrifying?" He's been to Lake Superior several times in his life, along with the rest of the Great Lakes, and he could concisely say he never got terrified about swimming over the deep parts. Sure, yeah, it can be scary, but not if you're a good swimmer. 

        "Oh, c'mon, I'm just trying to warn you," he sighed, grinning playfully. "Wouldn't want you panicking to find freezing water and drown."

        Something about the way Josh said that scared him. But he didn't have time to think it over; Josh was pulling him along with him. The closer they got to the middle, the colder the water, so they resorted to going back to the warmer water when Tyler got so cold his fingers were red. Josh somehow, still unbothered by the cold, helped Tyler along, and they ended up talking and laughing until the sun disappeared behind silhouettes of forest trees, and the only light was a single steak of orange in the dusk sky.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope this is good?  
> I was rushed when making this, so again I didn't get much time to proof read  
> I live to get feedback, so commenting is appreciated

**Author's Note:**

> feedback is appreciated  
> I didn't actually proofread this more than like twice so if anything seems wrong or out of place don't be afraid to tell me


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